Loading device for standard for lift truck



Nov- 22, 1955 o. w. SQUIRES OADING DEVICE FOR STANDARD FORK LIFT TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1953 INVENTOR David W'Squires BYK ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1955 Filed June 16, 1953 D. w. SQUIRES 2,724,521 LOADING DEVICE FOR STANDARD FORK LIFT TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .INVENTOR Dal/vial WS uif'es BY Mag/M1 ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1955 0. w. SQUIRES 2,724,521

LOADING DEVICE FOR STANDARD FORK LIFT TRUCK Filed June 16, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I QZZ T 4 8 27 ll a4 is 8 5| 34 IN VE NTOR l5 5 22 {wan 2| 8 22 M David wsyuiras dm a-M ATTORNEYS LOADING DEVICE FOR STANDARD FORK LIFT TRUCK David W. Squires, Champaign, ]]l., assignor to Thompson Lumber Company, Champaign, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 16, 1953, Serial No. 362,013 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-654) has found extensive use in material handling operations in warehouses, manufacturing plants, lumber yards, and numerous other industries.

This type of truck conventionallyhas an L-shaped fork, the horizontal tines of which are moved beneath the load to be lifted, and the fork moved vertically by appropriate power'driven means incorporated into the truck. structure to lift the load.

In the use of fork lift trucks the power-driven vehicle is moved to the load to be transported and the fork pushed beneath the load so that the vertical movement of the fork will effect lifting of the load. To provide space beneath the load to accommodate the tines of the lifting fork it is common practice to use pallets or spacing boards beneath the load so that the fork may have free access to slide under such loads. With the conventional fork lift truck the center of gravity of the load must be. above the lifting fork sothat vertical movement of such fork will effect load lifting. A long load, or one.

wherein the center of gravity is beyond the end of the lifting fork, would obviously tilt off of the fork upon vertical lifting of the fork. i w

Accordingly, in using fork lift trucks for transporting elongated articles, such as, for example, unit piles of lumber, it is necessary that the fork be pushedunder the side of the elongated pile substantially at the middle there of. This obviously necessitates spacing of the piles of elongated articles to a sufficient distance to allow access thereto by the fork lift truck. Accordingly, an unreasonably large area is required for stacking of the elongated articles and the large area required. becomes a serious drawback to the present use of fork lift trucks for movingpiles of elongated articles such as lumber by side engagement with the pile.

Accordingly, it is. the principal object of this invention to provide an industrial truck of the fork lift variety embodying a structure to be capable of handling an elongated load from the end thereof bycantilever support of such elongated load.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus for use with conventional fork lift trucks which may be applied to such truck-s with a minimum modification of the existing truck, and which will enable end loading of piles of elongated articles by cantilever sup- United States Patent 2,724,521 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 ICC fork lift truck structure having a vertically movable hor izontal lifting platform with a transverse bar mounted horizontally above the rear of said platform whereby said platform may be moved by the power means of the truck to engage the underside of the load to be trans ported, and said transverse bar will engage the upper end surface of the load upon lifting of said platform so as to form a cantilever support in carrying the load.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made Within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of an industrial truck of the fork lift variety incorporating the structure of this invention and showing the manner in which an elongated load is supported thereon.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1 with the elongated load omitted.

Figure 3 is a side elevation illustrating the cantilever load support structure of this invention applied to the fork of an industrial truck. Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 3 with portions of the load platform shown in section.

9-9 of Figure 7. t t

Figure 10 is a detailed sectional view taken on line Ill-10 of Figure 4.

In Figure 1 aconventional type of industrial truck 1 of the fork lift variety is illustrated. This truck has a pair of spaced driving wheels 2, cooperating with a single guiding wheel 3, to support the body 4, which carries the driving engine, operatorseat, controls for actuating the lifting fork, etc. An upright trackway 5 is pivotally mounted at the lower end thereof, intermediate the front pair of wheels 2. A bracing strut 6 is connected to the rear side of the trackway and extends over the main portion of the truck body to an actuatingmeans within the body 4 so as to be movable to control the angular position of the trackway 5 with respect to the truck body.

The trackway 5 has mounted therein a conventional fork 7, which is vertically slidable within the trackway by suitable hydraulic or cable actuating means. The fork of the truck has a pair of horizontally extending tines 8 which in use are moved beneath the load to be transported and then lifted to raise the load. The type of fork lifting truck described above is merely illustrative of a form of conventional type of industrial truck with of the tines 8. The outer end of the platform 10 is provided with a flange 13 which extends downwardly over the outer ends of the tines 8 when the platform ispositioned on the lifting fork 7.

The flange 13 has openings along the face thereof which receive bearing blocks 14, 15 and 16. The bearing blocks 14 and 15 extend outwardly through the flange 13, adjacent the, side flanges 11 of "the platform 10, and are suitablyseciiredayby welding to such'flanges and to the undersideof the platform 10. The third bearing block 16e'xtei1ds outwardly through the'center of the flange 13', and issecured, as byweldi'ng, to the underside of the'plat- I .i A: l

A"'shaft 17 extends through the bearing blocks 14, 15 and 16;" and isprovidedintermediate the bearing blocks with a'pai'r of' rjollers'18 and 19 secured to the shaft 17 byfat plurality of 'setscrevvs 20. The size of the rollers 18 and19 isso selected'thatthe'upp'er surface thereof will be aboveor levelfwith thepla'ne" of the platform 10. Thus theftfwofrolle'r's journaledin the bearingblocks 14; '15 and; 16 'on's'haft 17,"will"e uable the fork carrying the plat foffr'rh "lo'tobeirolled ihto'position beneath the elongated loadtii'bcarriedby the truck,"'and the upper'surface of such rollers willse'r've'as part of the cantilever support for the load being moved.

Althougliitj is preferred to have rollers at the outer end of 'the'plaftforrn 1'01o roll under" the load to be moved, such 'a structureis not necessary to the proper functioning of the apparatus. Thus the outer edge of the platform might'serve'as the lower support edge for cantilever supporting of the load or a bridging member might'be secured acrossjthe' outer ends of'the tines 8 to transversely engage theiinder'side'of the end of the load to be moved. All.

e t t To 'p'o'sitionthe ends of the tines 8 of the fork 7 beneath the platform 10, a transverse partition 21 is secured as by welding to the underside of the platform 10 and flanges 11 adjacent the outer end of the platform. This partition has apertures 22 to' receive the outer ends of the tines 8, so as to guide and retain the ends of the tines when the device is 'slid on to the lifting fork. In'the embodiment illustrated in the drawings the partition 21 extends across the underside of platform 10 adjacent the rear end of the bearing blocks 14, and 16, and accordingly, may be suitably secured thereto as by welding.

Toward the rear of the platform 10 a channel 25 is secured as by welding to the underside of such platform. This channel is of such a length as to span the space between theinner edges of the tines 8 when the tines are pdsition'edwithin the pockets in'platforrn 10, andthus servesf'incooperation with the flanges 11 to center the platform respect to the tines 8 of the'lifting fork.

In addition to centering the platform 10, the channel 25 act s as'a snpp ort for'the side mernbers'26 and 27, the lower ends of are bent at right angles as shown in Figures 2'a r 1d to exiend beneath the pockets for the tines 8 inwardly to be welded to the web of the channel 5." ua e. rs s whi sa sssl Pa a el t a h h r d 19T- war dly from the plane of the platform 10. These side members are additionally secured as by welding to the outer surface of the flanges 11 on platform 10 to rigidly retain them normal to the plane of the platform.

Alternatively the side members 26 and 27 could be lltst dirqq y to h; Sid edges of t lifting fo k t ne 8 and a bridging member secured across the outer ends brine t es. With such a construction built as an integral Part with; fo ift ruck he a fc t v ou be di pensed with since in the illustrated embodiment its main function is to held the elements properly positioned with respect to the lifting fork of a conventional industrial truck when the tines of such fork are positioned within the pockets in the platform.

The spaced parallel rods which make up the side members 26 and 27 provide a guiding track for the transverse ar 34 wh sk as be ssaib d ereina e en a e the r. nd sur ers 9f th ms tsd' 19 d t9 stars a part of the cantilever support in mov g the load.

of. these alterna ives are within the contemplation of ventiori.

side members" eonsist of a pair of spaced The transverse bar 30 consists of a pair of channels 31 and 32 boltedin spaced relation with a pair of guiding blocks 33, between the adjacent ends thereof. Suitable threaded connectors 34 serve 'to retain the guiding blocks 33 between the ends of the channels 31 and 32, with the outer end of such blocks extending outwardly between the spaced parallel rods which make up the side members 26 and 27. A guide plate 35 is secured to the outer end of each block 33, outwardly of the side member 26 or 27. to retain the transverse bar 30 in the trackway provided by the side members.

Between the upper ends of the rods which make up the side members 26 and 27, stub spacers 40 are Welded to retain the rods in parallel relation so that the blocks 33 on the transverse bar 30 may be freely slidable within the side members. A pair of horizontal rods 41 are Welded to the edges of the upper ends of the side members to retain the side members parallel to each other.

Inmany load *handlingsituations it is desirable to be able to adjust theposition of the transverse bar 30 so as to accommodate loads of different heights and also to enable the'transverse' bar to be moved down firmly against the upper endsurface ofthe load torigidly clamp such load. However, where a particular size load is to be handledjthe adjustable characteristic of the transverse bar 30 may not be necessary. Accordingly, for such use the transverse bar 30may be rigidly connected to the side members 26 and 27. at the desired height above the surface of the fork tines tocooperate with the transverse support means across the outer end of the tines in forming'a cantilever loadlsupport. "'Further, Within the scope of this invention the side members 26 and 27 could be provided with attaching means at a plurality of spaced points along their length so that the transverse bar 30 might be attached to the side members at any one of a number of diiferent horizontal positions above the surface of the fork tines.

To actuate the transverse bar 30 a hydraulic cylinder 45 is mounted on the horizontal rods 41 at the mid-point thereof and normal'thereto. On each side of the cylinder 45, bars 46are welded to the parallel rods 41 to span the space therebetween and centrally position the cylinder. The operating rod 47 of the hydraulic cylinder 45 is connected to the transverse bar 30 through a stub shaft 48.

To support the stub shaft 48 a pair of bearing washers 49 are welded to the webs of the channels 31 and 32. A here is formed through the webs of these channels to accommodate the stub shaft 48 and such shaft is inserted therethrough and through a journal 50, formed on the endof the operating rod 47. The stub shaft 48 is retained'in position on the transverse bar 30 by cotter pins '51, as shown in Figure 9, which are inserted through openings in the ends of the shaft to cooperate withwashers'49"inmaintaining theshaft centered. Thus the transverseba'r 30'iseoupled to the operating rod 47 of the'hydi'aulic' cylinder45.

Above theupper'en d of the side members 26 and 27 the square rods which makeup these members are bent inwardly toward'each other to form diagonal braces 55. The upperinostendsof these braces are further bent so as to lie horizontal'and are joined at their abutting ends as by welding to form a supporting base 56 to receive the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder 45. A

of hydraulic pressure and control valves therefore (not shown). Such suitable control valves are mounted on the body of the truck to beaccessible to the operator for controlling the application of hydraulic pressure to the cylinder 45,,through the upper and lower connections 62. Operating rod 47 of the hydraulic cylinder will transmit movement to the transverse bar 30 in the guide provided by the side members 26 and 27 to position the bar at the desired location for handling the load.

In the illustrated embodiment a specific power means in the form of hydraulic cylinder 45 is shown for positioning the transverse bar 30. However, it will readily be recognized that any suitable power means to actuate the bar may be utilized within the scope of the instant invention.

In operating the apparatus for end handling of an elongated load L, such as shown in Figure 1 with the fork in its lowermost position, the tines 8 having platform 10 positioned thereon will be moved underneath the end of the elongated load. The end of the load will extend rearwardly towards the body of the truck above the platform 10 and beneath the transverse bar 30. Under these circumstances the fork 7 may be raised by proper manipulation of the truck controls so that the transverse bar 30 will engage the upper end surface of the load L and form a cantilever support for such load between the transverse bar 30 and the rollers 1.8 and 19 at the outer end of the platform 10.

It will readily be appreciated that the adjustability of the transverse bar 30, by means of the hydraulic cylinder 45 together with the adjustability of the lifting fork 7 and angle of trackway 5, which are characteristics of the fork lift truck construction, will enable a variety of load sizes to be handled with a fork lift truck incorporating this invention. Thus the transverse bar 39 may be raised or lowered to accommodate elongated loads of different heights. and also may be raised or lowered with the same load to vary the angle of the load being transported.

In disengaging the load L from the industrial truck,

the rollers 18 and 19 at the front end of the platform 10 assist in permitting withdrawal of the truck fork from beneath the load after the outer end of the load has been lowered to rest on the ground or other supporting area where the load is to be deposited.

I have illustrated and described what I now consider to be the preferred form of my invention. It will be understood, however, that various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to without departing from the broader scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fork lift truck having a power actuated lifting fork, a platform adapted to be positioned on the tines of the lifting fork, roller means mounted across the outer end of said platform, upright members secured to the sides of said platform adjacent to but spaced from the end of said platform opposite said roller means, a transverse bar connected between the upper ends of said members and extending horizontally above the inner portion of said platform, said roller means and said transverse bar cooperating with the end of an elongated load to be moved to provide a cantilever support for the load when said platform is lifted by vertical movement of the lifting fork of the truck.

2. In a fork lift truck as recited in claim 1 wherein said transverse bar is adjustable so as to vary the spacing between said bar and the upper surface of said platform.

3. In a fork lift truck as recited in claim 1 wherein said transverse bar is slidably mounted in said members and hydraulically actuated means are coupled to said bar to move said bar with respect to the upper surface of said platform.

4. A fork lift truck having a vertically movable horizontal lifting platform, power means for driving said truck and vertically lifting said platform, a transverse load engaging bar mounted above said platform adjacent to but spaced from the innermost end of said platform and spaced above said platform to receive the end of an elongated load between said bar and said platform, actuating means connected to said bar to enable movement of said bar relative to said platform to vary the space between said bar and said platform to accommodate different height loads, the outermost end of said platform engaging the underside of the load at a point longitudinally spaced from the load end and said transverse bar engaging the upper surface of the load at a point immediately adjacent the load end upon upward movement of said platform to lift the load.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 698,896 Beierstorf Apr. 29, 1902 1,277,712 Germond, Jr Sept. 3, 1918 1,485,818 Schroeder Mar. 4, 1924 1,843,736 Remde Feb. 2, 1932 2,319,456 Hazen May 18, 1943 2,431,589 Shuler, Ir. Nov. 25, 1947 2,578,802 Heidrick et al Dec. 18, 1951 2,613,831 Rees Oct. 14, 1952 2,621,811 Lull Dec. 16, 1952 2,665,019 Lorimer Jan. 5, 1954 

